1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a zoom lens for use in a video camera, an electronic still camera or the like, which is compact in size and superior in performance with a zoom ratio of about six.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Recently, video cameras have required to effect a good operability and maneuverability as well as to produce a higher picture image quality Under such a trend, small-sized as 1/2 or 1/3-inch and high resolution image devices are becoming playing a leading role in responding to these requirements. And, accompanied with which, it has been strongly emphasized to use zoom lenses which are large in aperture ratio, small in size and light in weight as well as high in performance. In addition, cost reduction has also been largely required As a result, practical realization of zoom lenses which make possible the reduction in the number of lens components while performances are being maintained at a high level is of urgent necessity.
Conventional video camera zoom lenses with the F-number of about 1.4 and zoom ratio of about six were so-called four-group lens system using more than 13 lens elements.
A conventional four-group zoom lens is disclosed in, for example, U.S. Pat No. 4,749, 267, in which, looking from the object side, the first group having a positive refractive power moves on the optical axis to effect focusing. The second group having a negative refractive power moves on the optical axis to effect zooming. The third group having a negative refractive power moves on the optical axis while holding a constant relation with the second group thereby to keep the image surface position to be changed with the move of the second group in a constant positional relation with the reference surface. The fourth group having a positive refractive power moves the image surface to be formed through the first, second and third groups to the desired position and yet carries out necessary aberration corrections to effect the realization of height picture image quality. On the focusing, the first group is drawn out in the forward direction, so that such problems have been pointed out that lenses to be used for forming this group become large in diameter and large in weight, which means that the compactization is difficult to be realized. Also, on the focusing, the angle of view is varied, so that an image can be fluctuated in the focusing process, which has been pointed out as a problem that can decrease the dignity of focusing.
In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, a method in which other groups than the first group of a zoom lens are moved in the focusing process, so-called inner focusing method, has been conventionally employed.
For example, a method of focusing by moving the third group is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,364,642 and another method of focusing by moving the second and third groups is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,460,251. With the above-mentioned methods, however, the moving amount of the lens group or groups becomes large in the focusing process, thus arising such a problem that the entire length of lens system cannot be reduced.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,859,042 is disclosed a method to provide the fourth group with a focusing function in order to solve these problems. In this case, however, the number of lenses of the third group becomes large (see Embodiments 1, 2, 3, 8 and 9). The third group is made of a lens group consisting of convex, concave and convex lenses arranged in this order from the object side, so that diameters of these lenses become large (see Embodiments 4, 5 and 6). In addition, as the third group has a convex spherical lens and concave spherical lens arranged in this order from the object side, the F-number becomes large to make it dark (see Embodiment 7) and zoom ratio is small (Embodiments 10, 11, and 12).